Dear Brother: Our attention has been repeatedly
called to the apathy and indifference of our people in regard to their political
rights; while, on the other hand, our enemies were never so well organezed, so thorough
and united, nor more determined in their opposition than now.
The experiences that we have had in the "irrepressible conflict" between the
Church and Kingdom of God and the world, from the days of Ohio, Missouri and Illinois
down to the recent experiences of our disfranchised people in Idaho, proves beyond
doubt that the "price of liberty", to us, "is eternal vigilance", and implicit reliance
upon the protection and mercy of Almighty God.
The malignant animus and the wicked purposes of our relentless foes were not
more apparent in the mobbings and drivings from Missouri, or the martyrdom of our
Prophets and the expulsion of the Saints from Illinois than they were in the infa-
mous propositions embodied in the Edmunds and the Edmunds-Tucker laws, the appoint-
ment of the Utah Commission and other Territorial and local officers to rule over us,
the confiscation of our property, and many other things open to the view of all the
people, which are in themselves mild and humane in comparison to measures which have
been proposed to Congress for the destruction of our rights and liberty, as Latter-
day Saints, and the subjugation of the Church of God, which have not as yet crystaliz-
ed into penal statutes against us. Among them the proposition to compel wives to
testify against their husbands, and to make the status of polygamy, as well as the act
a crime punishable with excessive penalities, to disfranchise all Mormons and the utter
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demolition of our church organizations.
As an evidence of what would result from falling into the hands of our ene-
mies, of the few rights left us, we need only to look to the treatment of our people
in Idaho where, so far as possible, every vestige of political rights and freedom have
been denied them because of their belief in and connection with the Church.
There has been suggested to us on several occasions by persons who think
they are friends of the people, the subject of political iorganizations in this Terri-
tory, having in view a change from the People's party to those known as the national
parties—Democrats and Republicans. Situated as we are we have deemed such a step to
be very unwise. When advances of this character have been made by some of our peo-
ple in good faith, how have they been treated? The Territorial convention of Demo-
crats, called under the authorization of the National Democratic Committee, that met
at Ogden in May, 1888, at which time and in which convention the efforts of some mem-
bers of the People's party to unite with them on democratic principles, were so shame-
fully treated, and those making the effort were grossly insulted.
It should not be forgotten that those calling themselves Democrats and
Republicans and Liberals have ever and all the time united against the majority of
the people of this Territory; they will ewen obliterate party lines for this purpose,
and always and everywhere speak of our people—the People's party—as political heri-
tics.
Pending the time when all who love liberty aod the rights of their fellow-
men may unite on a platform of equal jusitce, we urge the importance of prompt action
and constant effort to strengthen the rank and dile of the People's party, always a-
voiding the unwise policy of urging for office or position those who have not the
confidence and respect of the people and, possibly, otherwise unqualified for the suf-
frages of the legal voters.
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The apathy and careless indifference of the people at the last election for
Delegate to Congress shows the great necessity for prompt action on the part of the
law-abiding citizens of the Territory.
Without multiplying words I think it necessary that these matters should pe [be]
taken in hand by the Apostles, the Presidents of Stakes, the Bishops and all the El-
ders in Israel, with a view if awakening the Saints and all friends of human rights
to a realizing sense of the dangers which threaten us through the negligence, care-
lessness and indifference of the people to the dangers which threaten them, but which
may be averted or at least postponed by reasonable diligence on their part. For
while we should always rely fully in our faith and confidence, in the mercies of God,
the folly of indifference, neglect of other duties or idleness must be apparent to
every rational mind.
It is therefore desired that the Apostles, so far as possible, will use due
diligence in bringing this subject, in the wisdom and discretion of their high call-
ing, as prominetly as the Spirit in wisdom dictates through them before the Stake
and Ward authorities, ar [and] also the Quorums of the priesthood and the Saints as they vis-
it among the people.